Steam -generator



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

T. W. MQFAIRLAND.

STEAM GENERATOR.

No. 431,475. Patented July 1, 1890..

WQnasses.

THi Nunma PETERS cm, Punro-umm, WASNINGYCJN, o. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

T. W. MQFARLAND.

STEAM GENERATOR.

Patented July 1,1890.

111: N'umus PETERS co.. movou'mm, WASHINGTON, m c.

PATE T FicE;

THOMAS WV. MCFARLAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.431,475, dated July 1, 1890.

Application filed September 19, 1889., $e1'ial No. 324,572. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs W. MOFAR- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steam-generators; and it consists in the combinations of devices and parts hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

The objects of this invention are, primarily, to provide a steam-generator of cheap construction, which will be useful for generating steam at low pressure for use for, laundry, bath, and other purposes, and be in a measure self-supplying with water and have means for producing a circulation of the same within the water-chamber, and a means for preventing cold water, freshly introduced within the water-chamber, from having direct contact with the heater -wall of the generator, and having also provision for allowance of elongation and contraction of the walls of the fire-chamber in relation to the walls of the steam and water chambers without affecting the latter walls, and also to provide specific means by which theimprovements in this invention can be embodied in a steam-genera tor. Iattain these objects by the meansillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a steamgenerator embodying the improvements in this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal view taken at line 1 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lower portion of the outer shell of this steam-generator, means for mov ing the water from one side to the other of the generator, and means for preventing the incoming water from striking the highlyheated wall of the generator.

The same letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A represents the oiitcr wall of the firechamber, which wall can be made of cast-iron or other suitable material and with such a size and form as to include a chamber a above the grate a for the fuel to be burned, and the chamber Z), in which the products of combustion can circulate for heating the wall with which the water and steam have contact.

In Fig. 1 the walls of the fire-chamber are shown to be in the form of two truncated cones joined together at their bases. This form of wall is preferred, as it produces for the lower half portion of this wall'the tapering form of fuel-chamber a within and a gradually-expanding internal wall to the waterchamber B B, surrounding said fuel-chamber, while it also produces a graduallyoontracting flame-chamber h, against which the flames and hot gases from the burning fuel will forcibly impinge ,in their passage from the top surface of the burning fuel to the exit 1;,10- cated in the wall a of the fuel-hopper C.

In the upper end portion of the flam e-chamber 17 is a defiecting piece D, made with a downwardly and outwardly inclined form; and preferably corresponding with the incline of the conical upper half portion of the wall A of the fire-chamber. This defiecting-piece'is preferably made integral with the conduit D, (or may be connected with it in any suitable manner.) This conduit D opens into the fuelhopper O, and is provided with cover d, by which communication from the fire-chamber to the fuel-hopper can be opened and closed at will. Between the walls of the connectingdeflector D and conduit D and the upper portion of the wall A of the fire-chamber and its neck a is the annular flue F, which leads from the flame-chamber b to the exit I). This flue F has its extensions in a horizontal direction, gradually increased as it runs downwardly from its opening in the fuel-hopper to the lower end of the deflecting-piece D, so that particles of fuel passing from the fuelhopper G into said annular flue F will be prevented from lodging in said flue and per mitted to have a ready passage down into the fuel-chamber below. t

G G together form the outer wall of this steanrgenerat-or and inclose the water-chainber B and steam-chamber B. This wall can be made in a single piece, yet I prefer to make it sectional and composed of at least two pieces, as walls G G, secured together in any suitable manner by bolts, rivets, or equivalent fastening devices, and made steam-tight by suitable packing. The lower half portion G of this wall is eccentrical to the lower half portion of the wall A of the fire-chamber, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and one side of this half portion G is made inclining inwardly and downwardly in a line about corresponding with the incline of the lower half portion of the wall A, and is at a short distance from the same, as shown in Fig. 1, while the opposite side of this half portion G is made to be only slightly tapered, or nearly perpendicular, and set off to a greater distance from the wall A opposite. By this form of construction of the lower half portion G of the wall of the water-chamber of this generator there is produced around the wall of the fuel-chamber a a water-chamber B, which will have a larger area in a horizontal direction on one side than on the other, and thereby produce a Water-chamber B having one-half or side portion of greater capacity for holding water than the other. This unequal capacity of the respective opposite half or side portions of the water-chamber B so distributes the water within the said water-chamber that only a small portion of the whole volume of water in said chamber will be brought against the wall A at one side of the fire-chamber and become quickly heated, and have its temperature raised higher than the larger measure of water in the opposite half or side portion of said water-chamber. This unequal. heating of the water in said portions of this water-chamber B operates to produce a con-* stant circulation of the water in said chamber from the side holding the larger measure toward and to the side holding the lesser measure, and causes the steam to be generated in a larger measure and at a higher temperature from the water in the portion 20 of the waterchamber B than that generated from the water in the portion w of the same chamber.

The steanrchamber B is inclosed by the Wall G and communicates with the waterchamber B, and holds the supply of steam for use.

H is an outletrpipe by which the steam is conducted from chamber B to the vessel or other device to receive the steam or to be heated.

I is the water-feed vessel, which is made with any suitable form which will allow operating the valve 1', located in the discharge end of the teed-pipe j, as shown of Fig. 1. This water-feed vessel I is shown in Fig. 1 to have its lower portion of the wall h made funnel-shaped, and having its lower and contracted end connecting with the water-pipe K, leading to the pipe K, communicating with the water-chamber B at its lower end and at its side of greatest horizontal extension, as shown in Fig. 1.

L is a blow-off pipe provided with a suitable valve and communicating with the water-chamber B at a low point in the same. Fig. 1 shows the blow-oft pipe L to have communication with said water chamber B through pipe K though it can have direct a of the wall of the fire-chamber.

communication with said chamber or through a pipe other than pipe K.

M is a steam-pipe connecting steam-chamber B to the water-vessel I for equalizing the pressure on the water in said vessel.

N is a circular inclined gutter or trough by which the sediment from the water in the water-chamber will be allowed to gravitate to the plane of the lowest dip of said incline N to about opposite the outlet to the blow-oft pipe L, and be more readily blown out than the sediment would were this inclined gutter N omitted.

O is a packing between the neck 9 of the wall G of the steam-chamber B and the neck This packin g is of material which will produce a steamtight joint between the said two necks, and at the same time allow the neck a to move vertically in either direction within the neck 9, according as the wallAof the fire-chamber of this steam-generator is extended in a vertical direction by its expansion from the heat of the fire or as it is contracted by the contraction of said wall. This packing operates with the walls of the respective necks g and a to produce a steam-tight joint, and at the same ti me allow one neck tobe movedvertically in relation to the other without in the least affecting the wall G of the steam-chamber B.

P is a guard-plate, secured in any suitable manner to the wall G at a point neighboring the inlet from pipe K to the water-chamber B. This guard-plate sets inward from the wall G to a short distance, and has its ,lower end terminating at a short distance from the surface of the lower end wall of said water-chamber, so as to produce the outlet m from the chamber n to the chamber B. By this plate P, (provided at the bottom of chamber B and in front of the discharge orinlet end of the pipe K,) with the outlet m, as above described, cold water can be freely introduced into the chamber B withoutliability of its being thrown or introduced directly against the heated wall A of the fuel-chamber a. The inclined gutter N operates as a ready conductor for moving sediment in the water to the lowest dip of said incline and opposite the opening to the blow-oft pipe L to be in situation for being blown out of the waterchamber.

By means of my above-described improvements the steam-generator can be cheaply constructed of cast-iron and be readily mounted and set up for use by persons of ordinary intelligence, and the water within the waterchamber will be constantly circulated in such a manner as to cause the part which maybe of lower temperature to move toward the part of the chamber having the least measure of passed into and from the portion of the chamber less heated, while the walls of the firechamber, together with those of the water and steam chambers, can have relatively vertical movements without either being affected by the expansion or contraction of the other, and at all times the sediment in the water will be made to accumulate at a low point in the waterchamber to bein an advantageous situation for being readily blown out and off from the generator. The incoming cool water will be prevented from striking directly against the portion of the wall of the fuel-chamber opposite the inlet to the water-chamber by the guardplate P, and the hot gases and flames from the burning fuel will be made to move upwardly in contact with the upper conical portion of the wall of the fire-chamber and highly heat the same, while the cover (Z to the conduit D will prevent the flame and heated gases from passing centrally up from thetop surface of the burning fuel.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a steam-generator or water-heater, the combination, with the walls of the firechamber A, having its respective portions of walls of f u elburning chamber a and wall of the combustion-chamber Z) integral, and in the form of reversed cones joined at their bases, of the sections G and G of the wall of the water and steam chambers, which together substantially form a single chamber, and having provision for admission of water to within, and a discharge from the same lead ing to a pipe which can be connected with the article or thing to be heated, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a steam-generator or water-heater,the combination, with the walls G of the waterchamber and wall G of the steam-chamber, both together forming substantially a single chamber and provided, respectively, with inlet and outlet openings or pipes, of the wall of the fire-chamber A, having its wall portion a for holding the fuel to be burned and its wall portion 1), in which the hot gases circulate, made integral and in the form of two reversed cones joined at their bases, in which the wall of the fuel-burning chamber a will be eceentrical to the wall G of the water-chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a steain-generator, the combination, with the inclined wall of the fuel-chamber and the Wall G of the water-chamber B, of the incline N and blow-off pipe L, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a steam-generator or waterheater, the combination, with the wall G of the steamchamber, having its upper portion substantially arching and connected in a Water and steam tight manner with the wall G of the water-chamber, of the conical form of wall portion of the combustion-chamber I), having its'base integral with the reversed cone-like wall portion of the f uel-burnin gchamber a, and a passage-way for exit of the products of combustion to the smoke-pipe, and having an internal opening for the passage of fuel from above into the fuel-burning chamber below, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a steam-generator, the combination, with the wall G, of the guard-plate P, situated near the inlet of the water to the water-chamber, and the outlet m, communicating from the chamber formed between said wall andguard-plate and the said water-chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a steam-generator or water-heater, the combination,witl1 the conical form of the wall, of the combustive chamber I), having integral with it the neck g, and the packing material 0, sealing the joints between the said two necks and permitting a relative expansion and contraction of the walls of the fire-chamher and steam and water chambers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a steam-generator, the combination, with the fire-chamber walls having the form of reversed cones and the walls of the water and steam chambers exterior to the said walls of the fire-chamber, with a portion of the wall of the water-chamber opposite a side of the wall of the fuel-chamber inclining and at an angle about or nearly corresponding with the angle of the wall of said fuel-chamber andthe opposite side portion of the wall of same water- 'chamber at a greater angle, so as to produce a water-chamber to which the wall of the fuelchamber will be eccentric, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

THOMAS IV. MCFARLAND.

Witnesses:

A. SELKIRK, J r., CHARLES SELKIRK. 

